Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-26

GENERAL ALBERT PIKE.
100 feet on Third street, and yet having q
depth of only 30 feet. small garden
extends around it, enclosed by an iron
rallied fence, and the edge OF the pave
ment fronting 1t is lined with a beautiful
row OF well grown maple trees. Over the
entrance, which is reached by a flight of
gray stone steps, is g sentence in the
Samaritan language, which not one man in
3 thousand who might pass could read
1t is written III large giIded letters, cut
deep into 4 marble slab and glinting
brightly IL the rays of the sun which
makes veriIable hot house of Washing
ton st this season of the wear
Literally translated, these hieroglyphics
mean "HOlV House Of the Temple"
To the right of the door as you enter is
the office of Secretary Weber Of the su-
preme council, who tells you that Gen
eTal Pike Is IN his room on the second
floor. This is reached by wide, angular
winding staircase with landing half way
up. The landing is not in itself notice
sDle, but there is an Old-fashioned clock
on 1t whose apparent antiquity would ar
rest the attention of anybody. It stands
ten feet nigh and is inCaSed in q black
walnut frame, snd beside it is a written
history OF the clock. II was brought to
this country in 1853 by John Harris, who
csmr over 10 the New World with his
friend, William Penn. 1t was presented
10 the Scottish Bite Temple by John
Harris, the last living representative of
the sturdy pioneer. 1881 Over two
hundred years ago! Iuvolunter,ly your
mind dwel.s On the vast changes that
hsVe taken place in that time. The free
dom OF religious thought, the birth OF
the most glorious country under the sun,
the printing press, steam, the telegraph,
t1e kDel! OF slavery, the youth Snd age
sud death OF SIX generations OF men.
Two centuresl Gnd that old clock has
seen i ALL and il you were to spend
your life counting you could not count
the number Of tines 1t has licked IL
man only lad the vitality of this old
monitor. Bah, il makes me cynical.
Let Us ascend.
General Albert Pike is sitting at his
desk, lighting small, Enthusiastically gilded
pipe as we enter, and if ever there was &
grand looking old man he is one. Tall
snd robust, with the grace of youth and
the dignity Of seyenty-seyen years ex-
Dressive brown eyes, which have never /
looked through glasses, and which are as !
bright as q Child's. ] is q warm day, |
% hide the wide eEpanse OF the snowy |
Wilderness of his shirt. And over the |
collar of this, like great name, falls his .
wealth Of silveTy hair, hall way down to
liS waist end IS thick as 6 girls
cha ha,' the General laughs pleas
autly as allude to it. "a lady came in
here yesterday and before | knew what
she wss doing she hsd cut off lock with
. pair Of scissors that she had brought for
the express purpose" And he laughs
sGsi1 as if he appreciated her rather in
terested compliment.
General Pixies study, in which more
tlan h8lf OF MS life il spent, is g plainly
furnished square room, with northern
sud western exposure. Two desks, a
lounge. four or five chairs, q bookcase
ECd ooOkrsCE complete the furniture
The general is never alone in this room,
z0r there Ale nearly S hEndred birds IN il
emu their music never CesEes while day
..aGt lasts. Thev are q almost every
lind and description. ElUe-birds, black
7UdS, cSnsIies, ROBINS, thrushes, swal-
.2CS, hooking birds, and doz-
ems g other varieties, some
..mes owe" twenty IN cage
Lilar his birds, the taJorite hobby of
saHs-a- Pike s MS pipe collection, which
Us paC most GGlNtIOl EeTe ever seen.
-.e hes Jeen presented with half dozen
pelschsuuS ;6st are rsSl works OF art,
i@,, lne art at hat. OEe Of them took
IKE prl-e the Paris national fair COR
]s. - Tie largest meerseh&GE in the
y ord aod smother fer beiag tho most
}eAlItu. lle former has stem over s ]
a.a .OEE &la Is TO heavy &c lift com {
ort2uiy- the latter, which IVES voted 10 {
'im a the ECriS tae-, held Just after the 6
>rancC-GeTman W&g, cost 900 francs. Il is :
ica.y carved aud oicsmanted with silver {
designs 22s&e from German and s R;ss
tliers. The Genera has smoked all of ]
lcm, but his fsVorite IS the little pipe he Z
rs smoking VIXEN l ENTERED, sud some q
: he others are rather dusty. dts g {
asme,' lie says IS he replaces them; ?
IL have every one Of t4em cleaned tc- b
o
I sid that my distinguished host p
bends over half OF ais life II the room 0
here ne now sre, Gad SO he does, but 1t d
not spent in iGIeEess. Nest Ct his e.
me is ri ven to the translation of the d
lnskTlt hooks OF VedG, and seventeen b
,lumes OF the imperisE Sble thoughts OF p
e mighty Eeers of old have oeen n
lslated by this student, from the Ian
II the time when the east Rss in
I'd Kali had not breathed upon b,
fl stones O. her children. These OF
volumes Of thousand pages &C
OF printed, cut written in the NJ